further resolved that all persons holding said lands be and they hereby are holden and compellable to release said lands to him the said Williams his heirs or assigns at any time untill the said first day of December next in the same manner as they by law are holden for the term of three years from said sale the said Williams his heirs or assigns complying with all prerequisites of law any law to the contrary notwithstanding Sent up for concurrence In Senate May 4th 1782 Approv'd Nath Gorham, Speaker S Adams Presid John Hancock Appointment of Excise Deputies. Sir By a law of this Commonwealth, I am as a Collector of Excise apply to your Excellency for your apperbation of my Deputys-I have appointed Mr Jonas Farnsworth of Machias a Deputy Collector of Excise for that part of the County & Request your approbation of him- I am with Respect your Excel: mostd obligd Humb. Serv ¶ To His Excel John Handcook Hallowell May 3o 1782 Sir Josiah Brewer to Richard Devens. Fort Hallifax May 6th 1782 Yours of the 2a of Octo' 1781 Nov 8th & 15th I have received. the Goods and Provisions ware all Delivered to Col° William Howard agreable to your Direction, it was so late before the Sloop arrived in the River it was not possable to git the goods up by water to Fort Hallifax last fall, some part of which I got up by Land in the Winter the Remainder is still at Fort Weston and Could not be got up till this time by Reason that the water has been very high till this time. Grate part of the Indians Removed back to there old hunting ground last fall and have not got in with thare Springs hunt which has lengthen out there provision so that I have more then one half there Rations by me now. The French Prest went over to Penobscot in march he was to Returne here in three weeks with the Indians he is not Return which makes me think he may be taken and carred into the British Fort at Penobscot, I have Ship on Board the Sloop hope Samuel Howard Master Sixty Two moos: Skins two Carrebo Skins Thirteen Bare Skins two Woolf Skins One Barrel of Furs Containing Nineteen Bever Skins Sixty Seven Saples one black Catt Forty Eight musquash two Otter two Raccoon Skins and one otter Not in the Barrel which is all the Skins and furs of Every Kind I have Received since I left Boston I am Sir With the Gratest Respect your most Obed Humble Servant ¶ Richard Devens Esq. Josiah Brewer Truck Master ¶ Recd June 5th 1782 from Col. Brewer at Fort Hallyfax. Petition of Town of Cape Elizabeth. To the Honourable Senate and the Honourable House of Representatives in General Court Assembled April A D 1782 ¶ The Petition of the Town of Cape Elizabeth Humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners have been over Taxed by reason of a Mistake of one Hundred Polls in our Return more than we had in the Town when the list of Polls and Estates were called for in the year 1777 or 1778 and by the Resolve of Court those Towns which appeared to have paid too Great a proportion of Taxes should be abated in the Next Tax for such sums and as the Mistake augmented our Valuation 8/4 on Every Thousand Pounds which we Humbly conceive has caused us to pay since that valuation took place to the Year 1781 part in Silver and part in paper curency to the amount of 7869£ 145/2a and we humbly conceive our Beaf Taxes and Cloathing is in the same proportion as allso if any Tax has been Granted by Government Since 1782 in the same Proportion all which added to our Distresses by Reason of the war Extraordinary loss of Men and increase of Widdows and Fatherless beyond any Town in the compass of our knowledge we haveing but 265 Rateable Polls left in the Town now which causes much of our lands to lie Dormant our Navigation intirely lost, the Great Sums we have been obliged to Give as Bounty for the men we have furnished has Caused us for want of Money to Make over part of our stocks to them which with all other Extraordinary Charges has brought an inormus Debt on the Town wherefore pray Your Honours to take the Distrest Surcumstances of the Town into your wise consideration and Grant us such abatement in our back Taxes as in Justice you shall find our Due and further pray your Honours to take our Distrest Surcumstances into Consideration particularly our losses of Men and Exposedness to the Enemy being only a Cape or Nick of land the Enemys Cruzers allmost continualy in sight of us, our Extream Poverty, and abate us of the six men we are wanting or stay the Execution for the Average Drill and fine till we are able to pay the same for it is impossible for us to pay it under our present Sircumstances and Your Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall ever Pray By Order of the Town Stephen Randall, Barzillai Delano, Selectmen of Said Town Benjamin Jordan Resolve on Above Petition. Commonwealth of Massachusetts In Senate May 7, 1782 On the Petition of Stephen Randall & others Selectmen of the Town of Cape Elizabeth, praying that Execution may not be issued against said Town for penalties incurred by not compleating its' quota of men agreeable to the Order of Government of the 2a of December 1780 Resolved, ¶That the Town of Cape Elizabeth be allowed sixty days, from the date of this order, for procuring and compleating its quota of Men agreeable to the Resolve of the General Court of the 2d of Dec 1780. And the Treasurer of this Commonwealth is hereby directed to issue no Execution, against said Town for any deficiency of said Men, in the mean Time, Or if Execution is already issued to recall the same, the said Town paying all such Cost as hath arisen therefrom Sent down for Concurrence S Adams Presid Deposition of John Linnekin. The deposition of John Linnekin of Lawful age testifyeth & saith that some time of the faull of the Year 1781 I the deponant was at Long Island at Mr Pembertons where I saw Thomas McGuire of Bristol who said that he the s McGuire came thether in a Canew from Camden, & that he the s McGuire said he was going to headquarters meaning Bageduce & that s McGuire said that William McCobb Esquire of Boothbay had had a lawsute with McGuire and further that the sd McCobb had had a Thousand hard Dollar & that he the sd McGuire said to the Men of an Armed Boat from Bageduce there was a fine oppertunity for them & likewise told them there was also valuable Cloaths & house furneture and he the s McGuire did perswade the Men of s Armed Boat, to go & rob s" McCobb, & further saith that one of the Owners of said Boat asked me the deponant if I could pilot him to s McCobbs House & told me he had heard sd McCobb had a thousand hard Dollars & other valluable Good & if we would go we might make our fortune, & further saith the boat was designed to go, but in a Stormmy Night was cast a drift & finially lost, and further I the Deponant heard my sister who was at Bageduce say about fourteen days after she saw said McGuire at Bageduce, and further I the Deponant in November 1782 saw said McGuire at work at the Taylor Trade at Bageduce and knew that he came there of his own accord and further saith not Lincoln Ss May 8th, 1782 John Linnekin Then personally appeared the afore named John Linniken & made solemn Oath to the truth of the above Deposition by him signed before me Dum Sewall J. Peace Resolve to Continue Post Between Portsmouth and Falmouth. Commonwealth of Massachusetts In the House of Representatives May 8, 1782 Whereas Ebenezer Hazard Esq Post Master general of the United States has by his Letter of the 25th February to Samuel Freeman Esq' Post Master at Falmouth, signified the Discontinuation of the Post from Portsmouth to Falmouth Aforesaid; and Whereas the situation & Circumstances of that part of the Common welth, having all certain Communication by water cut off, & being contiguous to the Enemy, which Renders Troops in that Quarter Necessary, with whome Communication must be Kept up-Therefore Re |